THE PRESENT STRUCTURE OF THE MIAGAO CHURCH

The beauty and magnificence of the Miagao Church lies in its unique and imposing architectural
designs, ornaments and motifs. It is also a "church fortress" as evidenced by its massive stone walls and
buttresses and other architectural and construction features and elements.
The church is characterized as eclectic in style - a selection and conglomeration of different selected
architectural styles, motifs and ornaments - like the Baroque, Romanesque, Gothic, Classical, and other
known architectural styles.
The stones (igang or sandstone) which compromise the walls were quarried from the mountains of
nearby towns. The massive stone wall (1.22 meters thick or four feet) is a rubble stone work blocks of
stones laid uncoursed and bonded by lime mortar. The walls are reinforced by seven stone buttresses on
each sides spaced at 8.00 meters on centers and a thickness of more than 2.0 meters on the ground
level and tapering at the top of the wall at 1.80 meters thick. The buttresses is of gothic architectural
style and construction. In between the buttresses are window openings and a side entrance door
of romanesquearchitectural style with ornaments and motifs of baroque and classical styles.
The church was burned during World War II. What remained were the walls, facade and bell towers.
After the war, rehabilitation and reconstruction started. The first structure that was reconstructed was
the roof trusses made of wood and a mixture of galvanized iron roofing and aluminum roofing. Then
the burned stone walls were plastered with cement mortar and the refinishing of the flooring soon
followed. The altar was enlarged and the altar floor was finished with granolithic marble finish. The roof
trusses were later replaced by a more or less permanent wooden trusses and galvanized iron roofing.
When the National Historical Institute took over the reconstruction and rehabilitation work, the first
thing they did was to peel off the cement plaster on the exterior wall surface and at the same time
restore the existing ornaments and motifs. The NHI also designed and constructed the perimeter fence
of the church. Then they designed and fabricated the new steel trusses. Later on, the steel trusses were
installed at the same time demolishing the wooden trusses and roofing. The installation of the first 8
trusses were done by a contractor from the city. Then the local workers took over the demolition of the
old trusses and roofing and proceeded with the installation of the new steel trusses and long span metal
slats. There are 19 trusses spaced at 3.50 meters at the center. After the roofing was completed, work on
the interior ceiling started. This was done by local workers from nearby barangays of Miagao. The
ceiling is steel and framed finished with cement stucco. The form of the ceiling follows the arched
bottom chord of the steel trusses designed by NHI. After the ceiling was completed, the cement mortar
plaster on the interior wall was peeled off by tooling to reveal the "native or natural" characteristics of
the stone. Then the ornaments and other architectural motifs and features were added, derived from the
existing exterior wall ornaments and motifs.
The choir loft was reconstructed based on the existing columns and piers. The method employed in the
construction of the choir loft was a conventional reinforced concrete construction. Then the exterior
ceiling and eaves were constructed. The method employed is similar to that of the interior ceiling.
The floor of the nave of the church is finished with marble slabs 3/4" x 24" x 24" in size taken from
Romblon and Bulacan. Before the flooring was started, the workers had to excavate about 50cm (20") to
locate the original floor level of the church.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS and
MOTIFS OF MIAGAO CHURCH
from: The Miagao Church Bicentennial Yearbook, 1797-1997

The creative and aesthetic abilities of Spanish
colonizers are reflected in many colonial churches in the
Philippines. This is especially true in Miagao Church - a
world-renowned religious structure now included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List.
Miagao Church is one of the Spanish colonial mission
churches in the Philippines. The building of the church
was executed not by real architects but by friars who
came as missionaries via the galleon trade between
Acapulco and Manila. The absence of European and
Mexican architects in the mission allowed the idealistic
friar-builders to try their hands in orchestrating the
design and construction of mission churches with the help
of native maestro de obras or master builders. There is no
engineering innovations in the structural composition of these churches because they
are simply built to withstand the destructive forces of nature. It was an architecture
which took into account the tropical climate, the frequent earthquakes and typhoons
and fires.
Like any other foreign influences, the architecture of many colonial churches has
undergone the process of indigenization. This process is carried out by incorporating
the prevailing Hispano-American and Medieval Spanish architecture with local as well as
Muslim and Chinese touches. Thus, the synthesized topology which developed into a
distinct style of mission churches is anachronistic with the unmindful use of decorative
elements. It had no distinction in terms of periods or orders. Stability and massiveness
along with durability associated with sound architecture, was very common. Thus,
mission churches were mostly fortresses built for military purpose with some
concessions on their facades.
The present church of Miagao is actually the third church constructed in the town.
The first two churches were built in Ubos, but due to frequent piratical raids, it was
transferred to Tacas, the highest elevated area in the town. The new church was built
like a fortress in consonance with the provision of the Royal Decree 111 of 1573 (Law of
the Indies).
BELFRY
The belfries that flank the facade of the
Miagao Church are of uneven height and
configuration. From a distance, they
loomed as a symbol of authority, stability
and dignity - a veritable fortress of divine presence. They are reminiscences of medieval
gothic towers that served as observation posts especially during piratical raids. These
massive bell towers with their rounded, tapering end - buttresses are unabashed
imitation of medieval forts. A touch of levity is provided by the delicate tassel-end-lace
traceries which mark the different tiers. The ground floor of the right tower was
originally the baptistry which could be reached from the end of the nave. The existence
of the crypt is evident as a partly concealed stairway that lead downward. This is
believed to connect a tunnel or subterranean structure down to the watch tower near
the shoreline in Baybay.
FACADE
Flanked by two belfries is the facade, the most notable
feature of the church. It reflects rare extension with the
employment of various highly decorative relief motifs which
are artistically carved on homegrown carbonaceous
limestone of yellow ochre color. A composite of medieval,
baroque and local elements, it is moreover, a candid
reflection of flamboyance and carefree styling of the 18th
century Philippines. It is harmoniously matrixed, arranged
and crafted which reflects the refinement skills and talents
attained by local artists engaged in the construction of
colonial churches. As a baroque structure, it normally adapts
these fundamental form with the accompanying pilasters,
friezes, cornices and oval openings.
The well-pronounced pediment of the facade is outlined by simple relief mouldings
and terminates with a trial cross at the apex. The fenestrations framed with foliate
ornamentations are symmetrically positioned resulting to the breaking up of horizontal
moulding. The central figure of St. Christopher carrying the Child Jesus on his shoulder,
stylized papaya and other fruit-bearing trees planted in vessels are carefully arranged to
complete the balanced composition.
The large relief sculptures in the pediment also deserve special attention particularly
because they deviated from relevant extent from Christian salvation history as motif.
Instead, they depicted the popular legend of St. Christopher who was accorded with a
special task in carrying people across the river where there was no bridge. A widely-
accepted story narrates that once, St. Christopher carried a child across the rover who
became increasingly heavy as he proceeded to the other bank. There he was told that
the unusually heavy child he just carried was Jesus Christ who was also carrying the
whole world on his hands.

The St. Christopher legend was a powerful motif - an inspiration for European painters of the 15th
century. To Spanish missionaries, it embodied a perfect image of their spiritual task which was to bring
Jesus from one continent to another. The use of the image of Sto. Nio since the arrival of Ferdinand
Magellan contributed to the selection of this motif.

Right below the pediment is an ornate rectangular vase. Superimposed on the
protruding arching dowel is the elaborately framed central niche bearing the statue of
St. Thomas of Villanova. The topping rectangular mass is a balustrade composed of
spindle-shaped balusters which are a common feature in the Filipino-Hispanic domestic
architecture. It does not only appear as to support the pediment, but also to provide
continuity in design between the lower and upper section. The ionic lined below the
balustrade enhanced the horizontality of the moulding, while the Doric triglyphs and the
baroque curves along with the customized pilasters, capitals and foliate ornamentations
- all contributed to a very unique artwork rendition in high relief. Aptly described by
one author as a unique explosion of botanical motif, reminiscent of Aztec art.
NAVE
Basically, the church follows the simple, single-nave plan that adheres to church-
convent-atrium pattern of Augustinian mode. Its foundation and walls are 1-1/2 meters
thick and reinforced with buttresses designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons.
The sidewalls appear like piano keyboards. Each base of the walls stands at an average
height of 11 meters from the ground to the eaves. The very simple construction of the
single nave and its truss roof is maintained in the outline of the facade along with the
sacristy which is now in ruins. It measures 18 meters in length and an average 17.5
meters length in clear interior width. The existing nave has eight bases of approximately
7.6 meters span each and two wider bases measuring 10.6 and 9.6 meters, respectively.
Another base which is now in ruins is 11 meters wide.
The windows are beautifully designed, some of which have been transformed into
side entrances to ease up the passage of big congregations especially on special
occasions. But the real side doors on each side wall can still be recognized. The
fenestrations are artistically framed with delicately carved stone segments with the
variation to local platework elements.
By and large, for two hundred long years, Miagao Church proudly stands as Iloilo's
phoenix. It should be noted that the church was razed by fire before its final destruction
in 1700, burned during the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1898, put to flame
during the Filipino-American War and during the Japanese occupation, as well as rocked
by a strong earthquake in 1948. Yet, Miagao Church is here to stay. Hers are the
numerous deaths and rebirths as well as the weathering of the ravages of time.
Nonetheless, it is one of the oldest landmarks in the Philippines - a fitting monument to
the Miagaowanons' staunch Catholic faith and undying memory of their country's
Hispanic past. It was declared as a National Shrine on August 01, 1973 and accorded
with the international recognition recently having been inscribed by the UNESCO,
together with the churches of San Agustin (Intramuros), Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur) and
Paoay (Ilocos Norte) as World Heritage Landmarks.